Delightfully confused
by sudden freedom from pain,
he is giddy--
flittering from room to room and out
into the open expanse of the world
like a firefly beaming
on a warm summer evening.

Seeing these streets--
his streets
falling away as he drifts higher,
he hovers
taking in the beauty of a skyline
he never took time to notice.

Unencumbered now by time or expense,
he sets sail on the wind
to walk upon the Tor in Glastonbury,
to perch upon a spire in St. Petersburg,
to sit upon the stairs of Machu Picchu,
to see all the splendor
he never saw in life.

And as the dawn
sets the upper atmosphere aglow,
a greater light pierces him
with a bitter sweetness.
His soul laments all he has lost,
and with a moment's hesitation,
he lingers
before dissolving
into nothingness.

What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter - a soothing, calming influence on the mind, rather like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Self-assured, it configures the path
on which to launch its rockets—
telling itself with scientific certainty
that the vision outweighs the risk
or the means.

With digitized eyes
tracked and focused,
eager for epic discovery,
it monitors the vast unknown
thinking itself omnipotent—
counting the seconds down to lift off
and, eventually,
to an epiphany of self-destruction.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Be sure to tune in to the Ekphrastia Gone Wild Virtual Publication Party, Sunday September 15 at 2:00 pm (pacific time) to hear poets from the book read their work on a special Poetry Super Highway Live broadcast.

And, yes, you will be able to hear me read my contribution during the broadcast even though I continue to maintain my aversion to being recorded. ;)

“Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you'll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you'll find that you have more of it.”

Cruising through earthquakes
and wildfires,
tornadoes and floods,
we slowed to witness atrocities
in countless colors and denominations
lingering on what seemed
every street corner of the globe.

It was when I saw the slaughtered children
that I jumped out the window
and tumbled to the soft grass verge of home --
wishing simply walking backwards
could wipe away the vision
of splattered blood.

Written as part of B.S. Poets/Poet Share, 8/31/13, Prompt Number Seven. Rules? 1. Write a short poem or vignette about the Gif or image. 2. Link back to Poet Share/B.S. Poets from your post. 3. Sign up in the Mr. Linky list, linking directly to your post, AFTER you've posted. 4. Read the other pieces and leave a comment after linking.As we support and encourage others, we support and encourage ourselves.